Washboard.



, A. SCHLEHR WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1914. RENEWED JUNE 22.1916.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Iii]...

wi/tuaooeo rrnn s'ra'rns rarnnr @FFIQE.

JOSEPH ANTHONY SCI-ILEHR, or RocxroRn, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR To A. vERE MARTIN,

. or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASI-IBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed October 1, 1914, Serial No. 864,467. Renewed June 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,278.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosErH ANTHONY SoHLEI-IR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of lVinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVashboards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in wash-boards.

The object of the invention is to provide a wash'board with an improved rubbing surface which will easily and quickly cleanse the articles rubbed thereon without injuring the hands of the user or wearing or tearing the articles.

Another object is to provide simple and efficient means for removably securing the rubbing surface of the board in operative position to provide for its removal when desired. I

With'the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features offconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a wash-board constructed in accordance with this invention with parts broken out; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view; and Fig. 4: is a similar view showing a slightly different form of the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated, the washboard frame is shown composed of side members 1 and 2 having longitudinally extending grooves 3 on their inner edges or faces for a purpose to be described.

Longitudinally spaced cross bars 4 and 5.

are shown connecting the upper ends of the side members 1 and 2, the inner cross bar 5 being here shown composed of two members but it is obvious that a single member may be employed, if desired. A panel or partition 6 is arranged between the cross bars 4 and 5 midway the width thereof to form a soap box or tray on both sides of the board.

The rubbing surface of this board is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 composed of a ribbed rubbing face constructed of a plurality of longitudinally spaced cross bars or strips 7 of any suitable or' desired configuration in cross section, said strips being here shown as substantially semi-circular in cross section with the rounded faces thereof'arranged to constitute the rubbing surface. These strips 7 may be disposed any suitable or desired distance apart and have their opposite ends arranged in the grooves 3 of the side members 1 and 2 and are shown secured therein by fastening elements 8.

Disposed over the rounds or bars 7 is a strip of canvas 9 or other-suitable material of a width corresponding to the width between the inside edges of the side members 1 and 2. This strip 9 is shown secured at its ends to the lower cross bar or round 7 and extends up over the upper round and down on both sides of the board as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. The lower round 7 is here shown provided on its lower face with a longitudinally extending groove 10 which is designed to receive a tongue 11 carried by a clamping bar or fastening strip 12 which has its ends also disposed within the grooves 3 of the side members 1 and 2.

Between the walls of the groove 10 and the tongue 11 is clamped the overlapped ends of the canvasrubbing strip 9as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, said strip or bar 12 being here shown secured to the lower round 7 by a screw 13, which passes transversely through strip 12, tongue 11, overlapped ends of strip 9, and engages the body of the round 7 whereby said strip 9 is detachably secured to said round 7, it being obvious that any desired number of these screws may be employed. This canvas strip 9 maybe either stretched taut over the rounds 7 or loosely mounted thereon as may be desired. The rounds 7 are spaced apart and provide the usual rough surface required in wash-boards and the covering of these rounds with the canvas apron or strip 9 produces a surface on which the clothes may be rubbed without injury either to the hands of the operator or to the clothes. As the clothes to be washed are rubbed down upon the apron 9, said apron will be pressed between the rounds 7 and form'a surface very much like the common ribbed surface of the ordinary wash-board, with this important difference and advantage, that the rubbing surface is canvas or some other textile fabric which-will not wear the clothes or blister the most delicate hands in the operation of washing. It is well known that clothes are much more easily cleansed by rubbing one surface of one piece of cloth against another than by rubbing them against a hard impervious surface of wood or metal.

By forming the flexible rubbingstrip 9 as described with the two ends secured in a groove of the lower round or rib 7 and with part disposed on one side of the board and part on the other, thus incasing the ribs, the strip may be readily reversed to present a new rubbingsurface when necessary, by removing and applying one clamping memher only. It has been found necessary to secure the apron or rubbing element 9 to the board at one point at least to prevent it from turning on the ribs or bars 7, which is objectionable for the reason that the fabric must be frictionally passed over the rubbing surface to cleanse the fabric and if the apron was not so attached, it would turn with the movement of the fabric and thus not accomplish the object sought. 7

In Fig. 4, a solid corrugated or ribbed rubbing surface is provided by forming semi-circular ribs 7 on one face of a solid board or plate 14:. The canvas apron or strip 9 extends over the ribbed or corrugated face of this plate 14' and is secured at its opposite ends to the rear face of said plate by inserting'the ends thereof in transversely extending; grooves 15 formed near the upper and lower ends of the plates and in which are inserted clamping bars or strips 16 which are held in operative position by any suitable fastening means. i

The plate 14 is held in operative position in the grooves S of the side members 1 and 2 by inserting the side edges thereof in said grooves and then placing clamping bars 17 in the lower ends of said grooves which are held in operative position by fastening screws or other suitable means. Similar fastening blocks are employed in the other figures for securing the lower bar 12 in operative position.

I claim as my invention:

A wash board comprising connected side bars having longitudinally extending grooves on their opposed inner faces, a plurality of longitudinally spaced rigid rubbing elements having their endsdisposed in said grooves and fixed to said side bars, one of said elements having a groove extending longitudinally thereof, a flexible apron extending around and incasing said elements and having the ends thereof overlapped and disposed in said groove, a clamping bar having a laterally projecting tongue extending laterally therefrom and adapted to be in sorted in said groove for clamping said overlapped ends therein, the ends of said bar being inserted in the grooves of said side bars, fastening means extending trans versely through said clamping bar, tongue,

and apron into said grooved element for de 'tachably holding the apron 1n adjusted position, and blocks detachably mounted in the grooves of said side bars below said clamping bar and having their ends engaging said clamping bar to assist in holding it in engagement with said grooved element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH ANTHONY SCHLEHR. Witnesses CHAs. A. HIL NER, C. ARTHUR NORDVALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

